The Twins' Fear

"Ethan, how did you do that?"

Fred and George stared at Ethan, who was casually rubbing the Cerberus's middle head, their eyes nearly bulging out in shock.

Just moments ago, the Cerberus had lunged at them, and neither Fred's barrier spell nor George's repelling spell had the slightest effect. They had resigned themselves to the fact that their lives were over.

However, things hadn't gone as they expected. Instead of attacking, the massive Cerberus turned into a docile creature, eager to lick Ethan with a tongue almost as large as a person. Ethan, though, firmly pushed the Cerberus away, rejecting the affection.

"It smells too bad," Ethan said, clearly unwilling to let the Cerberus's saliva anywhere near him.

"I've had a way with animals since I was a kid," Ethan explained, still rubbing the Cerberus's head, which made the three-headed beast purr with joy. "I guess it works on magical creatures here in the wizarding world too."

"Incredible! If we didn't know that Hagrid raised this Cerberus, we'd think it was yours," Fred said, still astonished.

"Yeah, if Hagrid ever finds out that his beloved Cerberus was stolen by you, he might cry his eyes out," George chimed in, laughing.

Ethan shrugged. "I can't afford to raise this big guy."

He scratched the Cerberus, now known as Fluffy, under the chin, and the massive creature leaned into his touch.

"You can tell how much it eats just by looking at its size. Hogwarts can manage it, but if this were the Muggle world, I'd have no way of feeding it. Unless," Ethan mused with a smile, "I went hunting in the Forbidden Forest."

The twins grinned, shaking their heads.

"Did the Sorting Hat say you could have been in Hufflepuff too? You're like the next Newt Scamander! You know, the guy who wrote Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and is famous for handling magical creatures," Fred said, still amazed.

George nodded. "Yeah, Newt Scamander is a living legend. He could tame almost any magical beast. Wherever there was a rare creature, you'd find him. He's even banned from entering some countries because of the trouble he's caused."

"You really are like him, Ethan," Fred added. "Maybe you're even better at this than Scamander."

Ethan laughed. "I'm optimistic about Hufflepuff," he said playfully. "Maybe I'll fool around there someday."

As they joked, George suddenly noticed something. "Hey, what's this?" he asked, pointing to a trapdoor beneath where Fluffy had been lying.

The moment George stepped closer, Fluffy raised one of his heads and growled menacingly at him.

Though Fluffy liked Ethan, he hadn't forgotten his mission. He had been trained to protect what lay beneath the trapdoor at all costs.

George froze in his tracks, eyes wide, before slowly backing away. "Alright, alright, I'm not going to touch it!" he said, raising his hands in surrender.

"Ethan's right," Fred said nervously. "If we try going down there, Fluffy might not be so friendly anymore."

Ethan nodded seriously. "Fluffy's guarding something important under Dumbledore's orders. If you try to go down there, it could get ugly."

Fred smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry, we're not that curious."

The two of them had already experienced the terror of facing a XXXXX-level magical beast. If they pushed their luck any further, they knew they might actually end up as Cerberus food.

Ethan shook his head. Typical Gryffindors—reckless, even when they should know better.

"Well, since today's exploration didn't get us anywhere, should we head out?" George asked.

"Yeah, let's go."

Ethan patted Fluffy one last time. "See you next time, big guy."

As they exited, George and Fred let out deep breaths of relief. Fred grinned at Ethan. "Good thing you were here today. If you weren't, George and I would've been in serious trouble."

Walking down the narrow corridor, Fred couldn't help but reflect on what had just happened. They had come close to death, and it made him realize how lucky they were that Ethan had come along.

"Bravery isn't the same as recklessness," Ethan said seriously. "Don't put yourselves in danger for no reason."

Ethan couldn't help but think of the twins' fates—how one would lose an ear and the other, his life. He hoped today's events would remind them to be more cautious.

"We know," George said with a grin. "Next time Fred tries something reckless, I'll kick his butt myself."

Fred laughed. "As if you weren't the first to rush in!"

They all laughed together, the tension finally starting to dissipate.

"Ethan, this is for you," Fred said suddenly, pulling out a folded piece of parchment from his pocket.

Ethan recognized it immediately. It was the Marauder's Map.

"This will help you with your night-time adventures," Fred added with a mischievous smile.

Ethan took it, curious. "Why are you giving me this?"

Fred beamed. "Because we already know Hogwarts like the back of our hand. We don't need it anymore, and I'm sure you'll need it when you're sneaking around."

As Fred handed over the map, Ethan couldn't help but smile. "Thanks," he said, accepting the map.

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